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Removing unused image files from WordPress

Published by Manoj Ranaweera on May 26, 2023

As we are getting closer to breaching the file limit (300,000) on the current hosting subscription, I need to find a way to remove thousands of unused images and other file formats our users have uploaded.

This is what ChatGPT says

To find unused image files from WordPress folders, you can follow these steps:

  1. Backup your WordPress website: Before making any changes to your website’s files, it’s always a good practice to create a backup to avoid any potential data loss.
  2. Access your WordPress installation files: Use an FTP client or a file manager provided by your hosting provider to access the files and folders of your WordPress installation.
  3. Identify the image folders: In your WordPress installation, images are typically stored in the “wp-content/uploads” folder. However, some themes or plugins may use custom folders for images. Identify the folders where your images are stored.
  4. Generate a list of all image files: Use an FTP client or a command-line tool like SSH to connect to your server. Navigate to the image folders identified in the previous step and generate a list of all image files in those folders. You can typically do this by running a command like ls -R > filelist.txt in the desired directory, which will create a text file containing the list of files.
  5. Obtain a list of used image files: There are several ways you can obtain a list of used image files in your WordPress installation. Here are a few methods:a. Use a plugin: You can use a plugin like “Media File Renamer” or “Unused Images” to scan your WordPress database and generate a list of used image files.b. Use a website crawler: Utilize a website crawler tool such as Screaming Frog or Xenu Link Sleuth to crawl your website and identify all the image URLs being used.c. Analyze the database directly: If you have database access, you can directly query the database tables to find image references. The relevant tables may vary depending on your WordPress setup, but typically, you would need to look into the “wp_posts” table and check for entries with post types like “post” or “page” that contain references to image files.
  6. Compare the lists: Once you have the list of all image files and the list of used image files, you can compare them to identify the unused image files. You can use various file comparison tools or scripts to automate this process.
  7. Review and delete unused image files: After identifying the unused image files, carefully review the list to ensure that none of them are required for any other purposes. Once you are certain that the files are indeed unused, you can safely delete them from the respective folders.

Remember to exercise caution when deleting files, as removing essential files can cause issues with your WordPress website. Always keep a backup of your files and verify the list of unused image files before deleting them.

Published inWordPress